back in Italy

[blueglass]

Ah, we've got to the bottom of it now! The Italians don't do chips and when they do, they don't do them very well. You'd love Croatia then. Loads of chips and a slab of fish or meat just to garnish the chips and make it look like you really did intend to eat healthily

Just back from Croatia in fact and found the cuisine somewhat uninspiring! Cheap as chips though, although for really cheap chips, Bosnia is king.
Greek chips far better, but for top quality, the triple cooked chips at The Red Lion in Cricklade take some beating. My quest is endless.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Just back from Croatia in fact and found the cuisine somewhat uninspiring!

You'll get flamed by some for saying that on here Thats what we thought when we first started boating in Croatia 3yrs ago but we have since found some really good restaurants thanks to recommendations from other forumites and from our own explorations. However if you are looking for a sophisticated fine dining experience, then Croatia is not the place but at the same time you can still eat well if you know where to go

 

[blueglass]

You'll get flamed by some for saying that on here Thats what we thought when we first started boating in Croatia 3yrs ago but we have since found some really good restaurants thanks to recommendations from other forumites and from our own explorations. However if you are looking for a sophisticated fine dining experience, then Croatia is not the place but at the same time you can still eat well if you know where to go

I think that holds true for pretty much everywhere doesn't it? On first acquaintance you use the obvious harbour area restaurants with usually average fare and then you get to know where the better places are. Assuming you stay long enough to find out of course. Only in Croatia for a couple of weeks and still found a few good places.

 

[AMCD300]

As an english mobo "driver" who has passed right through west and south Italy I can assure you that motorboats are penalised in exactly the same way. Yachts are not singled out for special attention, All boat owners in Italy are regarded as cash cows. Incidentally I don't wear speedos.

I agree that ALL boat owners are 'cash cows' in Italy, it is just that to Italians MOBOs are Ferraris and yachts are Fiats

Glad to hear about you renouncing budgie smugglers though......

 

[sailaboutvic]

I agree that ALL boat owners are 'cash cows' in Italy, it is just that to Italians MOBOs are Ferraris and yachts are Fiats
...

Oh come on guys , that applies every where , not just Italy , it down to you if you want to feed there pockets or not ,
Olympic marina last year , we needed to get some parts so we thought we might stay in the marina for one night , which is very rare for us , they wanted 65 Euros , no thanks we anchored out side for nothing .

If you want to use marina then it's going to cost you no matter where you are .

Some rivers in the UK you have to pay to be on your own anchor .

In the crib you have boat boys trying to get money from you left right and centre .

We are anchored in Capri to night and it costing us nothing , but if you want to use the marina that would be another thing .

www.dufour385.webs.com

 

[OldBawley]

Where exactly are you anchored in Capri ?
We had a very bad experience in Capri marina. Even the toilet lady wanted to steal from us.

 

[AMCD300]

We are anchored in Capri to night and it costing us nothing , but if you want to use the marina that would be another thing.

Vic,

Don't disagree at all. Just less sailing here than elsewhere in the Med, IMHO.

I was sailing the bay of Naples last night - I probably saw you on the water....

Ditto the request for anchoring advice on Capri - planning to go there soon.

Enjoy our nice weather

Andy

 

[blueglass]

Oh come on guys , that applies every where , not just Italy , it down to you if you want to feed there pockets or not ,
Olympic marina last year , we needed to get some parts so we thought we might stay in the marina for one night , which is very rare for us , they wanted 65 Euros , no thanks we anchored out side for nothing .

If you want to use marina then it's going to cost you no matter where you are .

Some rivers in the UK you have to pay to be on your own anchor .

In the crib you have boat boys trying to get money from you left right and centre .

We are anchored in Capri to night and it costing us nothing , but if you want to use the marina that would be another thing .

www.dufour385.webs.com

Obviously a marina makes a charge - its a question of degree. All I am saying is that Italian marinas charge much more in general than their neighbours in Greece or France.

 

[sailaboutvic]

Obviously a marina makes a charge - its a question of degree. All I am saying is that Italian marinas charge much more in general than their neighbours in Greece or France.

Sorry have to disagree , for a 12 mts yacht it's around 50 to 60 euros a night , unless you want to use one of the silly price marina , that's about the same price you pay in the marinas in Greece in July .
We ask two marinas in the Aeolian islands for water both wanted 6 euros for 100 lts or if we came I to the marina it was 55 euros inc water and ele and the other as 60 euros inc water and ele and that in June , July prices was the same , aug it goes up a bit more
In Sapri they wanted 45 euros incl water and ele , each time we didn't bother we manage to get water free to day we are in Isola Ischia and I ask the marina there for their prices it was 65 euros Inc water and ele , if you wanted to use a marina there plenty that charge no more then you pay any where else , take note all these marina inc water and ele , in Greece it extra .

Any one thinking of cruising Italy don't be put off by what you read here especially if you happy to swing on your hook , we was a bit worried before we got here with what we read but a lot of it is writing by people who never been here and just repeating what they heard other say .

How much have we read about Croatia on these forum , we know of no less then 14 yacht who spend most of last summer sailing there and only five had to pay for over night stay on there anchor , or used buoys , other just moved off the buoys to the other side of the bays and wasn't bothered again , I be more worried about Turkey with there black and grey tank problems then Italy or Croatia .

www.dufour385.webs.com

 

[blueglass]

Sorry have to disagree , for a 12 mts yacht it's around 50 to 60 euros a night , unless you want to use one of the silly price marina , that's about the same price you pay in the marinas in Greece in July

www.dufour385.webs.com

paid more than that for 11 metres in most places when we passed through 4 years ago Don't forget that a 60 euro marina can become 120 + in July and August. which is what we paid in Ischia on July 1st that year. The day before that it had bee 60 euros. Maybe you are comparing off season prices in Italy with high season in Greece.
Not trying to scare anybody off at all, just describing personal experience. The difference with Greece is that you don't need marinas ( there's hardly any of them anyway) there are more anchorages than you can shake a stick at. passing down the west and south coasts of Italy we found very few safe anchorages.

 

[sailaboutvic]

Blue glass , I am not disputing that there a loads more anchorages in Greece I should know I have sailed Greece for over 13 years on and off , but to say it an arm and leg job to cruise Italy is a load of bull , yes there may not be hundreds of anchorages on the west coast but there enough to make cruising a cheap and enjoyable and safe time . As for your own experiences in Ischia four years ago , you must have wanted to part with your 120 euros for the marina but don't Blane it because there are no safe anchorages in these part along there quite a few .

www,dufour385.webs.com

 

[1bobt]

Well I for one am grateful for both of your contributions to the thread ...Is it not best to stop now, as it will get like the lounge.
IMO
cheers bobt

Moorings available in Poros first come first served ...

 

[sailaboutvic]

Our route has taken us from Greece to Sicily along the east coast of Sicily the Aeolian island including vulcano , lipari,Salina , Panarea and Stromboli , across to the west coast of Italy where we now making our way north to Elba before crossing over to Sardinia and Corsica ( oh no I can hear people cry more expense ) any one who would like a true account of the cost cruising Italy west coast and harbour and anchorage , pm me I be happy to pass it on .

www.dufouf385.webs.com

 

[Little Sam]

I also disagree with many if not all of the negative things said about Italy in this thread.

I stress again, The reason anyone here should think Italy is expensive, the only thing i say to that is, you haven't done your homework . Italy like many other places can rip you off, BIG TIME. the key is knowing where to go. the prices can differentiate on a massive scale. You have to really really delve deep here to find out whats the cheapest places, speaking Italian or a friend who can is a MASSIVE help. Suddenly prices tumble !

Theres a whole community of us here (Italians) that have hardly any money at all, we get by just fine, whether that be for repairs, moorings or whatever we need, because we know the lay of the place and know where to go. Arm yourself with knowledge at local level or just ask. Before anyone starts slating the country, as your missing out big time on a beautiful place.

@Bluegrass- Theres more to italy than just Italian restaurants, Stop at my friend Kaoru's place at Trapani north west Sicily for a great standard of Japanese Sushi ! tell her Jason and Elena sent you for a special treat.

 

[blueglass]

Blue glass , I am not disputing that there a loads more anchorages in Greece I should know I have sailed Greece for over 13 years on and off , but to say it an arm and leg job to cruise Italy is a load of bull , yes there may not be hundreds of anchorages on the west coast but there enough to make cruising a cheap and enjoyable and safe time . As for your own experiences in Ischia four years ago , you must have wanted to part with your 120 euros for the marina but don't Blane it because there are no safe anchorages in these part along there quite a few .

www,dufour385.webs.com

sailaaboutvic - Not in the habit of delivering bull, nor in "wanting" to part with my 120 euros in a marina - I use marinas as an absolute last resort which is why I prefer Greece to Italy.
As I said before - just offering my opinion of the area which is as valid as yours.
If you found lots of safe anchorages on the west coast, congratulations. We found about 4 in the right place at the right time and in the right wind.
At the time of passage we met and re- met many boats along the way who shared the same experience as us.

 

[sailaboutvic]

we just have to agree to disagree ,
enjoy Greece .

www.dufour385.webs.com

 

[OldBawley]

Back in 2001 we cruised Italy.
“Transitori “ mooring places in each harbour. They ware free for one ore two nights. In most cases the Ormegio´s ( Harbour maffia ) refused the use of those transitori places, sabotaged even the access to them. One harbour had car wrecks on the bottom of the transitori mooring space to make sure new arrivals had to use the ormegio´s owned berths.
Can anyone tell me if those transitori berths still exist ? If so, what are the rules ?

 

[jimbaerselman]

Back in 2001 we cruised Italy.
“Transitori “ mooring places in each harbour. They ware free for one ore two nights. In most cases the Ormegio´s ( Harbour maffia ) refused the use of those transitori places, sabotaged even the access to them. One harbour had car wrecks on the bottom of the transitori mooring space to make sure new arrivals had to use the ormegio´s owned berths.
Can anyone tell me if those transitori berths still exist ? If so, what are the rules ?

That reflects my 2000 experiences in a few of the west coast harbours from Rome southwards. In 2008 one of my reliable sources told me they nominally still existed, but were usually occupied. However, that was high season. In one place he reported (sorry, don't remember which, but around Naples) that for a small fee a vacancy could be arranged . . . not a big enough sample to draw conclusions from.

 

[sailaboutvic]

Back in 2001 we cruised Italy.
“Transitori “ mooring places in each harbour. They ware free for one ore two nights. In most cases the Ormegio´s ( Harbour maffia ) refused the use of those transitori places, sabotaged even the access to them. One harbour had car wrecks on the bottom of the transitori mooring space to make sure new arrivals had to use the ormegio´s owned berths.
Can anyone tell me if those transitori berths still exist ? If so, what are the rules ?

We normally would prefer to anchor but the two harbour’s we used on the west coast , Camerato and San Marco we had no problem being on the wall . in Camerota three other yacht stayed with us .

www.dufour385.webs.com

 

[Wild Cherry]

Hi Little Sam - I have read some of your blogs and would like to request your advice. I have recently (last month) purchased a yacht near you in Pisa through brokers in Viareggio. I live in Cape Town and have rented out my house for a few years and will be coming to Pisa on the 14th July to hopefully take delivery of my yacht. I plan to cruise and live aboard for the next several years. I love Italy and plan to stay a while and then move on to Corsica and Sardinia.
Please advise me where I can keep my yacht in the Pisa area while I am preparing the yacht. I am hoping there will not be too many delays in deflagging and documentation etc but I have been warned to expect delays. Marina charges are steep at this time of year and I would really like to find something less pricey.
Please let me know and maybe we meet in Pisa sometime.